Text 12165, 97 rader
Skriven 2014-01-26 21:36:02 av Lee Lofaso (2:203/2)
  Kommentar till text 12057 av Björn Felten (2:203/2)
Ärende: The so called Intellectual Property
===========================================
Hello Björn,

BF>Internet is probably one of the most important inventions of
BF>the last century. It has the potential to give every person on
BF>this planet access to all the culture and thoughts that human
BF>beings have produced since we got down from the trees hundreds
BF>of thousands of years ago.

Fun fact:

Humans are deuterostomes, which means that when they develop in the
womb the anus forms before any other opening.  Which basically means
that at one point you were nothing but an asshole.

Before you say anything about my above comment, please know this -
I found it on the internet, so it must be true.

BF>Unfortunately there is a very powerful lobby group that don't want
BF>this to be free, they want to make money out of it.

What else would you expect from a bunch of assholes?

BF>I found this very thoughtful text on the 'net an hour ago. Please
BF>read it without blindfolds...

BF>Public libraries also show the ability of capitalists to prevent
BF>dissemination of information they don't like, or which threatens
BF>their profits.

Who qualifies as being disseminators of public information?
Should we leave that up to a select few to decide for us what
we should read/watch/do rather than trust ourselves?  And
why should we pay someone or some group to do that for us?
Doing so, voluntarily, might be one thing.  But to be forced
is quite another.

BF>Those of you older than 30 might remember 20 years ago when
BF>President Clinton and a few others in his administration promised
BF>to put the entire Library of Congress (among the biggest in the
BF>world) on the internet. Never happened.  Required funding that was
BF>never provided, and if you notice, no politician in the US (and
BF>elsewhere) ever mentions the idea of putting the entire content
BF>of public libraries online. Ever.

If everything were online then nobody would want to visit places
in person.  Since two thirds of the economy is consumer spending,
this can never be allowed to happen.  Therefore, only very small
snippets of information may be put online for the masses.  Get
them hooked so they MUST visit in person ...

BF>This is a reflection of the political power dynamic of private
BF>profit affecting even something as technologically easy and
BF>profoundly important like putting libraries online.

The works of George Orwell are free for download to anybody
who wants them.  I know where to look.  A university in Australia
has his entire collection (books and papers) free for download,
available in multiple formats.  But I could find no such site
in the USA, not even among university collections.  Of course,
books and papers for pay is an entirely different matter ...

BF>Universities put libraries online, but then 'limit access'
BF>to staff and students.

Public universities are open to all who want to use them.
Private universities have their own set of rules, not to be
confused with public universities which are supported by
taxpayer dollars.  Case in point, I visited the LSU Library
in order to find the dissertation written by Hubert Humphrey,
who served as Vice President of the United States under LBJ.
I was not a professor or a student, the only cost being my
time.

BF>The public libraries are "owned" by everyone, and the internet
BF>was also created by "everyone" and the technology for it is public
BF>domain.

Just because taxpayers pay for something does not mean that taxpayers
get to drive the bus.  Taxpayers fund a library system, and pay for
all that is necessary to operate such a system.  Land is obtained,
libraries are built, staffs are hired, etc.  Taxpayers are happy
with the end product, a working library system that all can use.

BF>But you will never see libraries online entire -- a few collections,
BF>special selections, and for a few weeks at a time. But a whole
BF>repository of the content of these great resources you will never
BF>see. That is, you will never see in a capitalist society.

In totalitarian states nothing is free.  Except for what totalitarian
regimes want the people to have.  In capitalist states, everything is
free.  You gots the bucks, you gets what you want.  Kind of like
pimpin'.  Sugar Daddies and all the freedom ...

--Lee

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